temperature meter

[scoopboys]

Hello
Hello everyone
I just purchased a 2000 boxster & I noticed my temp. meter reading is kind of abnormal.
It will reach 210 (highest reading) & slowly drop to about 200.
& it will keep moving up & down slowly between 210~200.

Could anyone tell me what the problem is or it's normal?

Thanks a lot...

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

Those temps are definitely on the high side. The temp on a Boxster will fluctuate pretty good, but unless you are constantly in Stop & Go (mostly Stop) traffic, you shouldn't be in this range. I suspect that the issue is one of two things (or a combination of both): First, make sure that the Radiators are clean, freee of leaves and debris and are flowing properly. This is done by back-flushing the Radiator fins using a hose or High Pressure air (you must remove the Bumper for access, but not too difficult a DIY project). Secondly, you may have air in the cooling system which needs to be bled. This is a little more complicated and unless you're familiar with doing it, it's best left to the Dealer. Since your car is a 2000, it might be a good idea to have the system flushed and refilled with fresh coolant. Despite what Porsche says, it really isn't LifeTime coolant, it's more like 5yr./150k mi.
Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!...Jim'99

[deliriousga]

A dealer "flush-n-fill" is going to run you $200+ so you want to make sure there is no other problem that will require another flush/fill.

MNBoxster's suggestions are fantastic. Complete them first but wait on the flush-n-fill. If those don't fix the problem here are some other things to look for:

1) Check your coolant level at stone cold before driving it 2-3 days in a row and make sure the level is not fluctuating in any way. Also pull up the rear trunk flooring a little around the tank and see if there is any sign of coolant under it. If you find coolant in the trunk or a lowering level you may have a cracked coolant reservoir. It cracks from the back of the tank so you can't see it and it's a common problem. 4-6hour DIY depending on your available tools.

2) Check your coolant reservoir cap and make sure you have the updated cap. It is supposed to help keep your tank from cracking like many have. The last two numbers on the new cap are "01" and the old cap has the number "00". It's $15 at the dealer so you should do it no matter what else could be wrong.

3) Make sure all of your fans are running properly. There should be two up front, one on each side of the bumper, and one in the rear engine complartment on the passenger side. I believe all of them should be running if you get over the 195 degree mark. They should not make any kind of "buzzing" sounds when they turn off either. That's a sign of the bearings wearing out causing the fan to turn slower. Replacement is easy, 30min-1hr DIY depending on which fan it is.

Other questions are what weight oil are you using? Higher weight (15w50 or 20w50), higher engine temps. You should be running in the 195F range when driving at speed and the 200-215F range in stop-and-go traffic when it's about 80-90F outside. Overheat is at 250F so you're not in the "danger zone", but check everything out asap so you're not put in that position.

Good luck!

[xclusivecar]

Definitely remove the bumber and clean the radiators. I bought a 2000S and when I removed the front bumber it was amazing at how much CRAP gets stuck up in there...completely blocking the front radiators! Everything from leaves, tons of cigarettes, and even a condom were clogging it up! I was nervous taking the bumper cover off at first but it was actually very easy to do!

[deliriousga]

Originally Posted by xclusivecar

Everything from leaves, tons of cigarettes, and even a condom were clogging it up!

Sounds like your Boxster has had quite an adventure!

[RandallNeighbour]

I cleaned out my radiators without removing the bumper.

I took a crevice tool from my home vacuum cleaner (the one on my shop vac was too large) and slid it between the slats in the front of the car and down to the base of the radiators. It sucked out all kinds of debris and leaves.

My engine temp would climb toward the hot end while in stop and go traffic, but move back down to the normal 180ish range while blazing down the road at 80+ mph.

My driver's side fan was dead, and this is the primary fan.

The way to see if both work is to simply get the engine good and hot, put it in neutral, set the brake, crank up the AC as cold as you can make it, and walk to the front of the car. Put your hand in front of each tire near the ground. You should feel a strong stream of hot air and noise emitting from both sides.

The fans do wear out like mine did, but there's a temp sensor that looks like a 3/4 inch thick black stick about 5 inches long with some wires coming out of one end that also can go out. This is not terribly expensive, and is far less time consuming to replace.

BTW, my mechanic changed out my fan in about 45 minutes. I bought the fan from Sunset Porsche and it was half price compared to my local dealership.